We have the opportunity to catch with rising pop star Nick Hissom to speak about the success of his current hit single, “He Ain’t Better.” With reaching over 1,000,000 streams on Spotify within the last month, it’s no wonder that this up-and-coming pop artist has captivated many fans. While working with producer Steve Morales and manager Derek Jackson, Nick has taken his love for music and business and created an avenue for himself in the pop world. As Nick prepares for his upcoming College Tour and is currently shooting his new music video in New York, here are a few highlights from his interview.

On the creative process of his record: “When I create, it’s a spur of the moment kind of emotion. I get inspired by things that are going on in my life. This song, I wanted that confidence boost and to say something to the women out there. I was dealing with girl problems in London. So I just thought to myself that he ain’t better than me. You know, I’m always gonna have a place in your heart kind of thing and that’s where it all kinda came from, you know?

Working with Steve Morales and Derek Jackson: “Working with them is great. They have an enormous amount of experience. They have a lot of guidance and they also allow me to give my comments as an artist which is always a little scary since they sold tens of millions of records and albums and you’re not on that level, so you’re wondering how you can give any kind of creative criticism or any criticism at all. But they allow you to make changes. Even though they have an enormous amount of credentials, we’re able to have a really cool friendship and working relationship, and that’s why we are coming out with good music.”

His view on the pop music scene: “Anything can be pop, look at Cardi B, who’s making history in the last few months. Nowadays pop is what’s popular. We have Cardi, we have Migos and we have Taylor Swift all on the same chart, on a different end of the musical spectrum but all on the same place. There’s a level playing field, and now that we have the internet and Spotify streaming, so there are so many platforms for your music to be heard to where your song is popular and not just a specific genre. I love the pop scene right now, it’s awesome.”